four; voice + text

[boughtabookstore]

[ HELLO NETWORK Roslyn has a gift for you. that is, she is using something other than text over the network and it isn't encrypted. WHOA.

she also sounds pretty harried! what's up with that. ]

I have news.

The time equipment can't be reached. Security is too heavy even with these problems.

They knew this was coming. It's time inconsistencies, the result of our mission. Sometimes the smallest thing changes and it causes others - the butterfly effect, it's been called before. They didn't think it would be this fast, or this bad -

[ a pause, a quick intake of air. she's struggling to make sure she remembers and says everything. as she falls silent, a second voice speaks up. Tony Stark, for those who recognize his voice. ]

Their 'solution' for this problem of theirs: send us out to fix it. The ones who can be sent out, because they're not in danger of suddenly blinking out of existence due to her-mentioned butterfly effects. And that's also why all the new neighbours all the time – just to make sure there's enough people around to keep sending people out. Because the population, not growing. People coming in to replace the ones who have vanished.

[ another pause, this time filled with the noise of a hand over the mic, movement nearby and the murmur of muffled voices. then the hand lifts and she speaks again. ]

Bariyan. John. The children.

If there's a mission -

[ she lets that hang in the air and shuts off the connection.

not long afterwards, a few encrypted messages go out from Roslyn! ]

voice; encrypted to Robin Hood;

Are you all right?

voice; encrypted to Bariyan;

I asked some questions.

voice; encrypted to John;

I've heard the clinic is having some troubles. How are you doing?

voice; encrypted to Riku;

I haven't heard from you recently. Is everything all right?

Comments

permavoice;

[vestigiaflammae]

[hey! hey. he's not a kid! he is a very adult sixteen, okay.]

And you said they knew this kind of thing might happen...?

What causes it?

[boughtabookstore]

Apparently something we did in the past affected the future in a way it wasn't supposed to.

[vestigiaflammae]

And so now everybody's disappearing and in pain and all that stuff?

... Can't they figure out how it'll affect things before they send us back!?

[boughtabookstore]

I don't know. I would prefer if they did, but perhaps that's beyond their capability.

[vestigiaflammae]

Man. You'd think if it could go this bad, they wouldn't send us back without being sure!

So... I guess if something went wrong last time, somebody's gonna have to go back in time again and fix it, right?

[boughtabookstore]

It looks like that's their intention, yes.

[vestigiaflammae]

You wouldn't know what kind of stuff can change the future... would you?

[You know. Just in case.]

[boughtabookstore]

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't. Beyond doing the bare minimum necessary for the mission, I don't know how else to keep the time stream safe.

It is not my area of expertise.

[vestigiaflammae]

I guess it was worth a try. Thanks anyway! [He laughs awkwardly.]

So what kind of stuff do you do back home?

[boughtabookstore]

[ ... this kid confuses her so much. ]

Perhaps the Initiative will be able to answer your questions better.

I was with the FBI.

[vestigiaflammae]

[But he just wants to be your friend. - He does that to people.]

Yeah, I should try the next time they start making announcements, huh?

...What's that?

[boughtabookstore]

Go for it.

A government agency that works to find criminals.

[vestigiaflammae]

Seriously? You're a detective? That's so cool!

[boughtabookstore]

I was, yes.

Cool is not the word I'd apply to it.

[vestigiaflammae]

come on, it's awesome!

[boughtabookstore]

Yes, my teammates dying and being constantly reminded of the worst things that can be done is awesome.

[vestigiaflammae]

oh

okay, sorry.

but the point of being a detective is that you catch people who do that kind of thing, right/

help people who need help.

i mean that's pretty cool

[boughtabookstore]

You have endless enthusiasm, don't you?

But yes. Helping people who needed help - that was the good part of the job.

[vestigiaflammae]

i try.

so if this wasn't what you did back home, how did you learn about the time stream?

i mean is there something i could read here?

[boughtabookstore]

There isn't yet, though there should be. No, I learned about it through talking to others who knew more about the subject than I did.

[vestigiaflammae]

oh. so, anybody i should talk to if i want to learn about this?

cause i mean if they're sending us back in time i ought to.

[boughtabookstore]

Unfortunately, the person who had the best understanding about it is now gone. There are possibly other arrivals who grasp the theory well enough, but I'm not aware of them.

[vestigiaflammae]

ok.

i guess i should ask around or something. hey thanks anyway though! i mean i really appreciate it.

[boughtabookstore]

Good luck.

And you're welcome.